Eternal Neverland
by Tee20
Summary: Wendy eagerly flies off to Neverland with Peter ready for the adventure of a lifetime, but once there, she realizes that remaining a child forever is not something that just anybody can do, and she starts to lose the desire to never grow up. Her revelation is only cemented when she is snatched from the forest by a band of uncouth pirates, and taken aboard their ship,...
1. Chapter 1 - Eavesdropping

**...where she discovers just what damage Peter's juvenile attitude to life has caused. (I couldn't fit the entire summary in)**

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**Warnings:**

**-This will be an AU fic, and will go completely off canon, but it will include some references to canon content. **

**-An eventual pairing of Wendy and Captain Hook will develop.**

**-There will be some sex scenes somewhere along the line.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1 - Eavesdropping**

Wendy Darling was currently doing something that she was sure would be viewed as a very unladylike thing to do, if she were caught. She was eavesdropping. She lingered on the staircase of her home, listening to the conversation taking place across the way, in the parlour. Wendy's parents were discussing her very near future along with her Aunt Millicent.

"I see no reason to wait, the boy has expressed great interest in Wendy thus far," Aunt Millicent said with authority.

"Wendy is still too young for such things, she is not yet eighteen," Wendy smiled when she heard her mother's sweet voice come to her defence, but the smile quickly disappeared when her father spoke next.

"Nonsense Mary dear, you were not much older than Wendy is now when we began to court."

"Yes but maybe we should ask Wendy how she feels about the boy before we agree to allow him to court her, don't you think so George?" Before Mr Darling could answer his wife, his elder sister butted in with her thoughts on the matter.

"Wendy's approval is hardly needed Mary, she will thank you for the arrangement once she is married to a steady man, who not only is highly thought of in society, but is a young man of immeasurable means. Your grandchildren will also thank you for selecting them such a fine father," Aunt Millicent gave a little chuckle, whilst Wendy heard her father cough and splutter on whatever it was that he had been drinking.

"Wendy must also spend less time with her brothers, and more time with me. Her wild imagination would not be seen as a desirable trait to any prospective husband, she must also have her own room, as the longer she remains in the nursery like a child, the longer it will take to wipe away those silly thoughts she harbours of becoming a novelist."

Mary Darling was instantly at her daughter's defence once again. "Wendy's sense of imagination is perfectly fine, as I said earlier, she is still young and has plenty of time before she even has to consider taking a husband, I do not wish to force the matter on her."

Aunt Millicent's voice sounded patronizing as she began to speak. "Mary, do you wish for your daughter to become a spinster?"

Mrs Darling did not answer, she certainly would not like her daughter to end up as a spinster, but neither would she want her to marry a man that she would have absolutely no interest in.

At her silence Aunt Millicent spoke again. "No, you would not," she answered for her. "I am afraid if Wendy is left to make the decision on her own she will see herself alone as a spinster, or she will take up with a less than desirable rake such as an actor, or some other ill reputable man with no morals," Wendy frowned at her aunt's words, she was sure if the task was left up to her, she could most certainly choose a respectable gentleman of her own.

"Millicent I would appreciate it if you would refrain from speaking of Wendy as if she has no scruples of her own. She is an intelligent girl and will select a fine husband when she is ready. If she wishes to accept Edwards's courtship then it will be entirely up to her without any prompting on our part."

Millicent remained quiet and Mr Darling took the opportunity to speak up, sounding a little flustered. "Mary, Millicent is quite right. Would you see Wendy with a man such as an actor? Think of what the neighbours would say!"

"If he made her happy, then I would have no problem."

Mr Darling scoffed. "Poppycock! Happiness does not provide for a family my dear, a stable job and a sense of responsibility do. Edward is a perfect example of such things, and he has shown great interest in Wendy on the few occasions that they have met, and now that he has asked permission to court our Wendy, I see no reason to refuse. We know he is of good breeding and will most certainly take care of our child, if they were to wed."

The room was silent for a while as no one replied, but then Mrs Darling spoke again. "Excuse me, I must check on the children."

Hearing the leather of an armchair creak from within the room as her mother stood; Wendy scrambled up the stairs as silently as she could, her nightgown billowing around her slight form as she rushed along the landing to the nursery. Her brothers had long been asleep in their beds, and Nana, the dog who acted as the Darling household's nanny, slept soundly in her kennel, which had been placed between Wendy's and the youngest Darling child's beds. So she slipped into the dim room unnoticed, and climbed straight into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and feigning a deep sleep.

A few moments later, Mrs Darling entered the room to check on her three children as they slept, she had done this every night since she had needed the use of a nursery, and she was sure she would continue to do it even when the beds had been left empty long ago, just out of habit.

She headed to John first, her eldest boy, and smiled when she saw that he still wore his spectacles, taking them off was something that he often neglected to do before bed. Tentatively taking the seeing aid from his face, she folded in the arms and placed them on the nightstand before placing a soft kiss on her son's forehead.

She then moved over to Michael's sleeping form, her youngest, and smiled when she saw his cherub like face so peaceful and relaxed. She ran her hand through his light brown hair and marvelled at how thick it was getting, she then planted a kiss on his forehead, just as she had done to John, before placing another on the top of Teddy's head, the stuffed toy that Michael carried around with him as it were an extension of his arm. Mrs Darling knew the action was silly, but she had made a promise to Michael that she would give Teddy a kiss each and every night just as she did for her children, and she would keep it.

Now walking towards Wendy's bed, she gave Nana, the nanny, a scratch behind her ear as she passed. Her husband had been rather dubious about 'hiring' a dog to tend to the children in the nursery, but once Mrs Darling had explained the expenses that the arrangement would cut down on, he had been eager to give Nana a chance, and she had been prevalent in a majority of the children's upbringing.

Mrs Darling paused at the foot of Wendy's bed and lingered awhile, she watched the bundle huddled beneath the cover slowly rise and fall as Wendy breathed steadily, but she knew very well that her only daughter was not sleeping.

"How much did you hear?" Mrs Darling asked moving to sit on the edge of the bed. Wendy slowly sat up and gave a sheepish grin. "Now Wendy, you know that it is not proper of a young lady to listen in on conversations."

"Even if the conversation concerns my future?" Wendy asked propping herself up on her pillow.

"Even then."

Wendy sighed. "What if I do not want to get married?" she asked her mother who tried to hide her shock, but Wendy glimpsed it before her mother's cool demeanour returned.

"Most women, get married Wendy, It is just expected of us to find a good husband that will provide, it is all part of growing up."

Wendy frowned. "But what if I do not wish to grow up?"

Mrs Darling smiled at her daughter who was already beginning to look very grown up in her appearance alone. "Everyone must grow up Wendy; it's the way that the world works."

Wendy pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them in what was a very childlike manner. "I'm sure there is a world out there, where no child has to grow up," She muttered almost inaudibly.

Mrs Darling would often stand by the nursery door and listen to Wendy's tales that she regaled to her younger siblings. She would tell original stories of a world where princesses never aged, and immortal pirates that sailed the seven seas in search of magical artefacts, that were rumoured to be hidden in the depths of thick jungles that covered the surface of unchartered islands.

Mrs Darling had found her daughter's imagination truly magnificent, and the tales she told about the hidden fairy grove were her favourite, but her husband had other ideas about Wendy's storytelling, stating that the fictional accounts were complete poppycock.

"Possibly, but sadly we live in this world," Mrs Darling said with an apologetic smile.

"I wish I could see such a place," Wendy replied, her eyes glazing over as if she were envisioning what it would look like.

"But how would this timeless world flourish? If no child ages, who would take care of them? Surely not the immortal pirates," Mrs Darling asked genuinely interested to see how her daughter would answer the question.

Wendy looked into her mother's questioning eyes. "I'm honestly not sure; I very much doubt the pirates would take care of the children, as they are far too busy scouring continents for treasure to loot. I would assume that they would have an older child, to whom they would look up to like a mother."

Mrs Darling sported a contemplative look. "Perhaps, but wouldn't that mean the mother would have to grow some? At least mentally, so that she could take care of her adoptive children?"

Wendy nodded in agreement. "Possibly, or they could all just run around like childish lunatics together," she gave a smile that was identically matched by her mother's own.

Wendy eyed her mother's youthful features, and thought if she were to grow older, at least she had the comforting knowledge to know that she would grow to look more like her beautiful mother to look forward to.

"Mother, who was Aunt Millicent speaking of as a prospective husband?" Wendy asked eager to know. She had heard the name Edward whilst she had been on the stairs, and she knew a fair few Edwards.

"Edward Clutterbuck."

Wendy stuck out her tongue and made a gagging noise, which Mrs Darling found amusing, but she held a straight face as she knew she should not indulge the unladylike characteristic.

"Wendy Moira Angela Clutterbuck," Wendy said with exaggerated distaste.

"It is a rather awful surname isn't it?" her mother said with a slight chuckle, but then the corners of her mouth sagged. "Your father will probably want to speak with you on the matter in the morning," she warned her daughter as she arose from the bed and moved to plant a kiss on the top of Wendy's head. "Good night Wendy," she said before crossing to the door and quietly closing it behind her as she exited.

Wendy slumped back on her bed in a huff. Edward Clutterbuck was most definitely seen as a desirable catch in society's eyes, but Wendy thought he was terribly dull, and would only force his dullness on to her if they were to marry. She had to think of a way to discourage Edward from wanting to court her, as she doubted her father would allow her to refuse giving the boy a chance. Wendy drifted off in to sleep, envisioning ways that she could deter the prim and proper Master Clutterbuck.

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**I do not own any of the characters.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Breakfast

**Chapter 2 – Breakfast**

The Darling family sat around the breakfast table in silence as they ate. It was very evident that Mr Darling had something that he wished to get off of his chest, as his eyes nervously darted between his wife and daughter, who both sported expectant looks.

Wendy was growing tired of waiting for her father to 'inform' her of Edward Clutterbuck's impending intentions; she wished that she could prompt the start of the conversation, but then he would know that she had been snooping the previous evening.

She sat opposite both of her brothers; young Michael was currently trying his best to keep his sleepy head from flopping forward in to his plate of toast and honey, and John was nursing a cup of tea. The eldest Darling boy peeked over the rim of the delicate cup, his brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as he studied the tables occupants, who seemed to all know something that he did not.

Wendy noticed the look her mother shot her father from the opposite end of the table as if prompting him to speak, which he then proceeded to do. Mr Darling glanced towards Wendy and parted his lips, but he then quickly diverting his attention to John.

"Are you looking forward to attending Eton John?" his father had asked him this very same question a few days prior. Wendy looked to her mother, who was finding it hard to suppress rolling her eyes.

"I suppose," John replied with a shrug, before taking a gulp of tea.

"Splendid," Mr Darling said with a smile. He was proud that his son would be attending such a fine establishment such as Eton, and was even prouder that the neighbours had been informed. Mr Darling's grandfather, Arthur Darling, had been thoroughly against the institute for some unknown reason, although he had attended it himself. The man had gone as far as preventing his son from joining the school, and of course he had also talked George Darling out of attending. John would be different; he would get the education of a lifetime, and meet many contacts that would prove useful in later life.

Mrs Darling delicately placed her fork down. "Wendy your father has something important that he wishes to discuss with you," she said putting her husband on the spot.

Wendy turned to her father, the man looked extremely uncomfortable, the approving smile he had been beaming at his son was now gone. He cleared his throat and also placed his cutlery down. "Wendy, do you remember Mr Clutterbuck?"

Wendy nodded, "Yes."

Mr Darling looked to his wife, and when she inclined her head to encourage him to go on, he continued. "Well Mr Clutterbuck's eldest son Edward, you remember Edward don't you? You have met on a few occasions," when Wendy nodded again he continued. "Well Edward has expressed an interest in courtship."

Wendy's mother spoke up, "And we were wondering how you felt about this, it is entirely up to you if you wish to accept."

Wendy looked between her parents and noticed that her mother remained relaxed as she waited for her answer. Her father on the other hand was nervously fiddling with his napkin, as Mr Clutterbuck was a major shareholder at the bank where he worked, and if she were to marry his son, then it would bode very well for her father's career indeed.

"Yes," Wendy said without any hesitation, she would play along for her father's benefit for now, but she would try her best to dissuade Edward.

"Marvellous!" Mr Darling exclaimed, shooting to his feet and nearly overturning his chair as he did so. This caused Michael to startle, he was now fully awake and alert.

Mrs Darling was taken aback by her husband's enthusiastic outburst, and looked to Wendy with suspicion. She had accepted rather too eagerly, and had now returned to her meal, delicately eating her scrambled eggs as if unfazed by the announcement, unlike last night.

Now standing, Mr Darling moved around to the opposite end of the table to press a kiss to his wife's cheek. "I am off to the bank my dear, I have invited William and Edward to dine with us this evening, so expect us around six," Mr Darling walked to the door with a spring in his step before turning back to the table with a joyful smile. "Have a good day children," all three Darling children waved in response as they wished their father a good day in turn.

Mrs Darling was left sitting at the table, a very evident frown creasing her brow. It was a face that her children did not see very often, and they knew that she was angry that their father had already arranged for the Clutterbucks to join them for dinner, before he had even spoken to Wendy. "Excuse me children," she said getting up from her seat and heading out of the breakfast room, to get preparations underway for the evening meal.

Now left alone, both boys intently studied their sister. "If you get married you'll have to leave us," Michael whinged, and slumped back in his chair as he begun to sulk.

"How do we know that this Clutterbuck chap is even worthy of you dear sister," John said resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward.

"Father seems to think that he is."

John scoffed, "Father thinks this match is good for his career," he studied Wendy's cool demeanour closely. "The question is do you really want to end up married to Edward Clutterbuck? He is awfully boring; he will most probably stunt your creativity, just by standing in close proximity," Wendy gave a soft chuckle at her brother's words.

John leant in a little further and narrowed his eyes, "You seemed a little too hasty with your acceptance, is there an ace up your sleeve Wendy?" He knew that she held no desire to marry, at least not at such a young age, so she must have a master plan brewing in that pretty little head of hers to scare Edward off without demeaning their father in the eyes of his colleagues.

When the corner of Wendy's mouth quirked upwards, John asked, "What's the plan Captain?" He used the nickname he had awarded her, a mischievous grin slowly creeping onto his own face.

Michael had now ceased his sulking and pulled Teddy from beneath the table, where he propped the soft toy up on to the surfaces edge, so that the bear could be included in the Darling children's scheming.

Wendy glanced about the room, in a quick sweep to make sure that they were alone, and leant across the table where she relayed her plan to them in a whisper. After she had finished, Michael sat back with a devious chuckle.

"A fantastic idea, but if by any chance it does not work," John said standing from his seat, brandishing a butter knife in the en garde stance. "I'll run the blaggard through, just like Captain Dread would do!"

Wendy chuckled, "Now, now John, he does not deserve that, he has done nothing wrong, I simply wish to deter him without tarnishing father's name at the bank."

John lowered his guard. "I suppose so, but what if he proves hard to set on his way?"

Wendy shrugged; "I cannot imagine him wanting to still court me after what we have planned."

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**The chapters will get longer.**

**If anybody would be interested in being my beta for this story, give me a shout. I'd appreciate the help :)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Michael's Mission

**Chapter 3 – Michael's Mission**

Wendy had been sewing with her mother, when a fantastic idea for a story had struck her. She knew that she had to write it down at that very moment, least she forget a single detail, so she had asked her mother if she may be excused. When Mrs Darling had inclined her head, and said "of course," Wendy had rushed to the nursery, where she was currently scribbling into a slightly worn journal that she documented every single one of her tales in.

"Wendy!" came Aunt Millicent's shrill voice from the bottom of the stairs, followed by the rustle of her heavy dress as she began to ascend them. Wendy's eyes went wide, the woman usually dropped in unannounced, and she couldn't have chosen a worse time to do so today. Wendy needed to hide her book quickly, but the ink was still wet and she did not want to smudge the words.

Blowing on the shiny black letters, she kept her eyes on the open door, if Aunt Millicent saw the book; she would only go off in to one of her rants about how useless Wendy's dreams of becoming a novelist were.

Pressing the tip of her finger to the paper, Wendy groaned when a spot of ink transferred on to her skin, and began to flap the book in the air to speed up the drying process. The ink finally dried, and she quickly tucked the journal inside Nana's vacant dog house, but in her haste she did not notice the loose piece of paper that escaped from the book and fluttered to the floor.

Aunt Millicent breeched the nursery doorway. "Wendy, did you not hear me calling you?" she was dressed in her usual black attire, which she had not gone one day without wearing since her husband had passed away.

Wendy moved her hand to push a ringlet of hair away from her face, her fingers brushing her cheek as she did so. "I'm sorry Aunt Millicent, I was just on my way to greet you," Wendy's aunt eyed her cheek where a small black mark was smeared across her rosy flesh.

The elder woman gave her a disapproving look before her attention was drawn to the scrap of paper that rested on the nursery carpet. Bending down with great effort, as her corset constricted her movement; she picked up the article and studied it. "The Isle of Illusions," she read out aloud, running her eyes over the heavily detailed sketch of the make believe island.

Aunt Millicent said no more on the matter; she simply folded the page in half and gestured for Wendy to follow her, which the younger woman did obediently.

The two women headed along the hallway and down the stairs where they entered into one of the three reception rooms, which was predominantly used by Mrs Darling for entertaining her friends when they came for social calls. It was also the room that Wendy had been excused from only a mere ten minutes earlier.

Wendy's mother sat in her favourite dusty pink armchair, humming as she shortened a pair of Michael's trousers. Her husband had always insisted on buying the boy's slacks larger than they needed to be, as with each inch that they grew, the trousers would be lengthened slightly so that they would fit, saving him a substantial sum of money each year.

Aunt Millicent instantly thrust the piece of paper she held in her hand at her sister-in-law, who set down her needle and thread and took it. Mrs Darling unfolded the sheet and ran her eyes over the charmingly named landmarks that were dotted around The Isle of Illusions. A smile curved her delicate lips, and she looked to Wendy. "It looks simply magical."

Aunt Millicent blanched at the response. "Mary, you should not encourage such nonsense."

Mrs Darling could not be bothered to discuss what Aunt Millicent called Wendy's 'wild imagination' right now, as it was always a topic that shifted in to an argument, and it was always an argument that she could never seem to win.

"Wendy has accepted Edwards's offer of courtship," Mrs Darling said knowing that the sentence would draw Millicent's attention away long enough so that she could hide Wendy's drawing, subsequently saving it from being thrown away by her pushy sister in-law.

"Why was I not informed of this as soon as I arrived!" Aunt Millicent said spinning to face Wendy and griping her by the shoulders, she gave the top of her arms a light squeeze. "You are in the first stages of becoming a woman my dear," she said as Wendy looked past her. Her mother had managed to slip the drawing beneath the plush cushion on which she sat.

Aunt Millicent ran her eyes over Wendy and frowned. Drawing a handkerchief from her person, she stuck out her tough and moistened the corner of the material, before applying it to Wendy's ink smeared cheek and giving it a vigorous rub.

Wendy's face contorted in disgust and discomfort, as she was sure the woman was not just scrubbing the ink off, but also a few layers of her skin. When the spit dampened cloth was removed from her face, Aunt Millicent began to fuss with her hair, which hung lose in tight mousy brown ringlets. "You will have to start wearing your hair up."

Ms Hughes, a stocky woman in her mid-forties entered the room at that moment, and inwardly groaned when she saw Millicent accosting the poor Darling child. Just as Aunt Millicent had her misgivings about Nana being the children's nanny, she also had a few choice words to say about the portly woman who now stood in the doorway.

Ms Hughes acted as the household's cook and housekeeper, and could be rather coarse at times. Aunt Millicent had suggested to her brother on a few occasions, that maybe he should hire a more refined young lady to attend to the cleaning duties of the house. She had said that Ms Hughes could then concentrate on one task without having to rush around cleaning up between meals. What she had truly meant was that the woman would not need to be seen throughout the day, but when Mr Darling had mentioned such things to his wife, she had smiled sweetly and replied, "Think about the expense dear," and he had quickly pushed his sister's comments aside.

"Lunch is now ready Mrs Darling. The boys are just washing up, and will be seated at the table shortly," she gave her most pleasant smile and headed out of the room followed by the three women.

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Teddy's head slowly crept around the doorway to make sure that the coast was clear. Once his shiny black button eyes had finished surveying the room, Michael's own head popped around the corner, he thought it would be best to give the kitchen a second examination, just in case Teddy had missed anything.

When Michael realised that no one occupied the room, he skirted around the door frame and into the vacant kitchen, keeping his body flat against the wall. Teddy was perched on his shoulders, the bear's legs wrapped around his neck like a scarf, his pliable limbs tied in a loose knot so as to keep him in place.

Michael knew that he would have to make his visit to the kitchen a brief one, as it was lunch time and he was supposed to be washing up. If it took him too long to join the rest of his family at the table, his mother would surely come looking for him, or worse Aunt Millicent. He had been alerted to his aunt's presence at the house when he had heard her voice beckoning his sister a little earlier whilst he had still been in lessons with John and their governess Miss May.

A dumb smile spread across his face as he thought of his governess, she was a pretty young woman with blond hair and large blue eyes, and he was sure that she favoured him over his older brother as a student. Michael had mentioned to John that she was a rather pretty woman once after they had finished their lesson for the day, John had shrugged in response and mumbled that she was indeed pretty but in a very plain way, and that he would much rather seek the company of someone a little more exotic in the opposite sex. Michael had blushed at the use of the word and his brother had then trudged off with a scowl creasing his brow, moaning that he was going to be stuck at Eton soon enough, and that he would not even have Miss May's plain but pretty face to look at.

Michael was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Ms Hughes' heavy footsteps on the stairs that lead down to the kitchen; he knew that he had to hide fast. He and Teddy were on an important mission, and he couldn't afford to fail, because if he did, Wendy would have to marry that terrible Edward Clutterbuck.

He scanned the kitchen for a hiding place and when he laid his eyes on the small but practical table that was pushed against the far wall he darted for it and slid underneath, just as Ms Hughes entered the room muttering about Aunt Millicent's rudeness. The table was dressed with a long white crocheted cloth spread out over its top, which draped over the sides and gave a considerable amount of cover for Michael and Teddy who sat silently beneath.

Ms Hughes moved to pull out one of the chairs before she sat down at the table, and Michael let out a small noise that sounded like _eep_, thankfully she did not hear his cry. Unsure of what to do, Michael contemplated his options, he could either crawl out from beneath the table and try to make it towards his target, the pantry without being seen, or he could wait it out beneath the table, Ms Hughes would have to leave at some point, but he truly knew that that was not an option, because if he remained there for a minute longer, everybody upstairs would begin to wonder what had happened to him.

The sound of metal clanging on the tiled floor made Michael jump and he gasped when Ms Hughes swore loudly and freely, she then reached down to feel for the fork that had fallen. Michael tried to back away from her roving hand, but there was nowhere to go and his hand was quickly patted by Ms Hughes'.

He held his breath as she bent down to lift the table cloth, and looked directly at him; he presented her with an innocent smile. "What are you up to?" Ms Hughes asked her red eyebrow cocked.

"Nothing," Michael replied his angelic smile wavering.

"Don't give me that, or I'll have to get that Millicent to get some answers out of you."

Michael's smile quickly faded and was replaced by a frown. "I can't tell you, it's a secret."

"You know I can keep secrets. Why don't you tell me? Maybe I can help."

Michael thought about that for a moment. It was true Ms Hughes could keep a secret; she had never told his parents that it was him that had eaten a whole bowl of sugar cubes. She hadn't even told them that it was him that had thrown up into the grandfather clock in the hallway after eating said sugar cubes, so he supposed that she could be trusted. Leaning forward he brought his hands up to cup her ear as he whispered what his secret mission was and re-laid Wendy's plan, Teddy's head flopping forward to lean over his shoulder as he spoke.

"My, my, your mission is an important part of this plan. Come out from under there and I'll see what I can do to help you."

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**Thanks to everyone that reviewed and followed the story, I'm glad your enjoying it so far :)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Plan A

**Chapter 4 – Plan A**

"Hurry up!" John said to his younger sibling who was retrieving his spoils from his earlier siege on the kitchen. Wendy watched as Michael stuck his hands into the underside of his pillowcase and pulled out a bulb of garlic and a brown onion.

"Quick Wendy, Clutterbuck could be here at any minute," John said unceremoniously pulling the onion from Michael's hand and carrying it over to the windowsill, where he begun to crudely chop the vegetable with a sharp knife that he had pilfered off of the table at lunch.

"Be careful John, you don't want to lose one of your fingers," Wendy said, a motherly air about her voice.

John stopped chopping momentarily to look over his shoulder with a sincere look of affection. "I would rather lose my finger than lose my Captain," Wendy smiled at his statement and he went back to butchering the onion.

"Here Wendy," Michael handed her a freshly pealed clove of garlic; he then began to rid another clove of its papery skin. Wendy bit into the garlic and winced at the taste; it burned her taste buds, and assaulted her nostrils with its pungent scent. She stuck out her tongue in an attempt to cool it down as her eyes began to water.

"Good God Wendy, I can smell you from here," John said with a chuckle, hiding the knife behind the curtain and gathering up the unevenly sliced rings of onion in his cupped hands, he then crossed the room to stand beside his sister.

Wendy finished off the clove with great effort, and took a ring from John's hands. "Your eyes are watering. Do I really smell that terrible already?" Wendy asked slipping the onion down the front of her dress and in to the corset that she had been forced to wear by aunt Millicent, who had whispered that Edward would find the added lift that it gave her favourable when no one had been listening.

"Cutting the onions caused me to cry, but you do smell pretty awful," he replied wrinkling his nose. Michael handed Wendy the next clove, and it quickly followed suit of the first one. The boys turned around to face the wall so that she could continue to conceal the onions on her person without them seeing anything that they shouldn't.

"Don't forget your underarms," Michael said with a giggle. Wendy noticed that Teddy, who sat at the foot of Michael's bed, had also been turned around, she smiled to herself. Michael treated the toy as if it were a living, breathing thing.

Wendy placed an onion ring under each arm just as Michael had suggested; the sleeves of her dress were tight enough to keep them in place. When the raw onions came in to contact with her skin, Wendy found them to be sticky and extremely uncomfortable, but she was sure that the overpowering smell already emitting from her body would cause Edward to bolt for the door as soon as he set his senses on her.

Nana lay in her kennel off to the side of the room, where Wendy's book still remained hidden; she approached the dog and knelt before her. "What do you think Nana, do I smell utterly terrible?" Nana shifted a paw to rest on top of her snout and Wendy let out a pleased chuckle.

Standing she turned to face John and Michael who looked rather pleased with the completion of the first stage of their plan, but Wendy caught a mischievous glint in John's eyes. Although her eldest brother was the perfect gentleman most of the time, he harboured a devious streak which had gotten him in to trouble on a few occasions, but being the well-spoken young man that he was, he had always talked himself in to the good graces of those he had initially offended.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?" Wendy asked him, smoothing out the pastel blue material of her skirt.

John couldn't help but break out into a full smile; he pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose before he answered, "I have come up with my own plan just in case this one goes awry, although I very much doubt that it will, but I felt the need to have an additional one as backup."

"Will you divulge the details of this plan to me?" Wendy asked eager to know what scheme John had concocted. John looked to Michael who now had Teddy wrapped around his mouth and nose as a makeshift mask to block out the strong smell of onion and garlic, but his eyes were very visible and Wendy could see them darken a degree and rise at the corners as he also broke out in to a smile.

Both boys knew, but they would not tell her. "Let's just say I had to waiver Dottie's poker debt to get what I needed for this plot," Wendy knew that her brother often slipped out of bed to visit Ms Hughes after dark in the kitchen, they would play card games together, and John always addressed her as Dottie, which was short for Dorothy. The woman would even place wagers on horses for John, and he would always share his winnings with her. Wendy couldn't say that the older woman was a bad influence on her brother, as he had been the one to instigate such games in the first place.

Mrs Darling's musical voice drifted up to the nursery, "Children, please come down stairs, the Clutterbucks will be with us shortly."

Nana was first to leave the nursery closely followed by Michael and Teddy. Wendy stood alone with John for a short amount of time, her eyes slightly narrowed as she looked up at him, he was tall for a fifteen year old, and stood a few inches taller than her. "Will you not tell me what you have planned?"

John shook his head. "If Plan B is in fact needed you can witness my genius first hand," he turned then with a sly smile on his lips and left the room, with Wendy walking close behind.

Mrs Darling, Aunt Millicent, and Nana stood at the bottom of the stairs, inspecting the children as they descended them in ascending order. Michael was spotless, his slacks in pristine condition and his hair combed neatly. As he reached the bottom step Aunt Millicent pulled Teddy from his hands and shook her head. "You are far too old for stuffed toys Michael; a boy of seven should not be carrying such things around with him."

Michael scowled, but was ushered on by his mother who leant down slightly and whispered, "I will return him to you after dinner," as he moved past her. John was next to be put under his aunt's scrutinizing eye, he paused when he got to the bottom of the stairs and she told him to turn around. Doing a twirl John rolled his eyes at Wendy when his back was facing his mother and aunt, when he faced them once more Aunt Millicent nodded her approval and allowed him to pass.

Wendy could feel her heart quicken, there was no doubt that they would smell the foul smell that she had manually imposed upon herself and they would force her to clean up quickly before Edward arrived. How did she ever think that she could get away with this, their cleanliness was always inspected before they were to have dinner guests.

Wendy faltered on her next step and John caught the action, he moved closer to the stairs scrunching up his nose as his mother and aunt got the first whiff of the putrid smell. "What is that?" John asked moving around as he sniffed making it look as if he was seeking out the source of the bad odour. "Nana is that you?" he said leaning a little closer to the dog and then backing away quickly. "Nana that smells terrible!" he waved a hand in front of his face as if batting away the smell.

Aunt Millicent was instantly on her soapbox about the use of a dog for a nanny. "This is why I told George that a dog would just not do," she said backing away from Nana whose head sagged between her furry shoulders. "Imagine if the Clutterbucks were here. Imagine how embarrassing this would have been!"

"Millicent calm down. Come along Nana let's go outside," Mrs Darling said to the dog leading her away towards the back of the house.

Wendy mouthed _thank you_ to her brother who gave her a wink in response and proceeded into the main parlour with Michael and Aunt Millicent who still held Teddy. Wendy let out a breath that she had not realised she had been holding in and felt the constricting effect of the corset she wore as she drew a deep breath back in.

"That smell could make any suitor run a mile," Ms Hughes said with a giggle emerging from the corridor that lead to the kitchen. She stopped at the centre of the entrance hall and turned to face Wendy who still lingered on the stairs. "Are you sure you don't want to at least give the boy a chance to make a good impression?" she asked clasping her hands in front of her.

Wendy shook her head. "I've met him twice on separate occasions already, at the last two Christmas parties held by the bank; he was dull on both occasions. I have no doubt that Edward would insist that I forget my dream of becoming a novelist. I also have no desire to be dangled in front of his colleagues like a pretty little bauble just like my father does to my mother," there was no doubt that her father loved her mother very much, but Wendy had noticed how he used her beauty and delicate manners to charm his co-workers into noticing him.

Ms Hughes gave a sigh. "Maybe you'll find the right man when you're a little older, someone who will support your dream," she paused for a moment. "And if you don't you could always take a succession of lovers," the woman gave a laugh as Wendy blushed and pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress her own giggle.

"Ms Hughes you are terrible," Wendy said playfully as she descended the remaining steps.

"I suppose I am, it's probably the reason I was unable to find myself a husband," Wendy knew that Ms Hughes could have very well had a husband, as on one late night when she had visited the kitchen in search of a glass of water, she had found Ms Hughes sitting at the table. She had been at the cooking sherry and the evidence had remained clutched firmly in her hand as she had told Wendy of the loving fisherman that she had planned to marry, but he had been tragically lost at sea. She had said that she had never been able to look at another man in the same way again.

Leaning over the table she had looked Wendy square in the eyes and the younger woman had seen a severe pain in their depths. "When you find the man you love, never let him sail away from you," she had drunkenly slurred and then hiccupped before passing out slumped over the table top. Wendy had removed the empty sherry bottle from her hand and wished Ms Hughes a goodnight before returning to her room, where she had wondered if falling in love was worth the heartache.

Wendy had witnessed a tear silently run down Ms Hughes' cheek on a number of occasions when she thought that no one was looking, no doubt in honour of her long lost fisherman. And she had seen how Aunt Millicent had changed after the death of Uncle Walter; she had become intrusive of her brother's family. Wendy supposed her aunt's meddling actions were due to her loneliness, after all she had been unable to have children of her own, but Walter had loved her none the less.

But then Wendy thought about her parents and the simple actions that they performed unwittingly that showcased their love for one another, like the way her mother drew a circle with the tip of her finger on the back of her father's hand when they sat side by side in their armchairs in the parlour of an evening. Also there was the way her father glanced at his wedding band every so often and gave the faintest smile as if he were recalling the day that it had first been slipped on to his finger by his beautiful blushing bride. Wendy supposed falling in love wasn't all bad.

The doorbell suddenly rang causing Wendy to startle and her heart to speed up once again, she shot a worried look at Ms Hughes. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll run screaming after he gets a whiff of you," Wendy hoped so.

Straightening her back she presented a pleasant smile on her face and watched as Ms Hughes moved to open the door to permit her father along with their dinner guests.

* * *

**I know, I know, you just found out Wendy's plan only to have John come up with his own one, but I promise it won't take as long for his one to be revealed.**

**I felt obliged to get this chapter up A.S.A.P because of all the kind reviews I received for the last chapter. I really wasn't sure what kind of feedback I was going to get when I posted this story, but I'm really feeling positive about it now, and can't wait to get to Neverland. I really like reading what you guys think about the going-ons in each chapter.**

**P.S. I think John is going to be my favourite character :)**


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